Spokane Ag Expo opens Tuesday
The largest farm equipment show in the Pacific Northwest, Spokane Ag Expo, begins next Tuesday at the at the Ag Trade and Convention Center.
The show and numerous seminars are expected to draw 5,000 people to downtown Spokane during the three-day run beginning Jan. 17.
About 250 exhibitors will fill the venues, which includes Veteran’s Memorial Arena.
Panel discussions will be held on a range of topics, from farm energy costs to the national cattle identification system proposals.
New this year is a casino night, workshops geared toward women with interests outside of the mainstream production agriculture offerings, and a seminar focused on exports.
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris will speak at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Ag Trade Center Theater.
Also, there will be exhibits about biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol.
The cost of the Farm Forum is $10 for adults, $6 for youth and free for children 11 and younger.
Tyco plans to split into three companies
West Windsor, Bermuda Tyco International Ltd., still recovering from scandals that saw its longtime former chief executive sentenced to prison, said Friday it plans to split into three public companies.
It is separating its electronics and health care businesses from its remaining operations, which include security and fire-protection services.
The company, which may be best known for its ADT home alarm systems, also warned its first quarter and full-year 2006 earnings from continuing operations would be lower than expected. It estimated the cost of the breakup, planned for early next year, at $1 billion.
Its shares tumbled $2.84, or 9.4 percent, to $27.47 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Tyco, which has its operational offices in West Windsor, said the breakup followed an extensive strategic review and will strengthen the businesses.
Each of the new companies, still based in Bermuda, will be governed by an independent board of directors who will continue to refine those portfolios with possible sell-offs or acquisitions, Breen said.
Nike rolling out new Air Max running shoe
Beaverton, Ore. Oregon-based Nike is prepping for the launch of the latest incarnation of the sneaker that shot the company to the head of the athletic shoe pack.
Later this month, the company will roll out its eighth Air Max running shoe – at a suggested retail price of $160.
The original shoe got consumers buying sneakers for show, not just for wear. Now, thanks to new manufacturing techniques and design, Nike promises a shoe cushioned heel to toe with air pockets, eliminating foam from the midsole.
Both retailers and analysts said initial shipments likely won’t meet demand. Nike said it plans to ship more pairs in time for fall, Tom Hartge, Nike’s creative director for advanced initiatives, told The Oregonian newspaper.
The new Air Max comes as the company’s market share in the category has held flat and customers have craved something new, industry analysts and retailers said.
Caterpillar machinery dealership set for Hayden
Western States Cat plans to open a new Caterpillar machinery dealership in Hayden, Idaho.
The new business will be built on 10 acres near Highway 95 and Lacey Ave., and be ready to serve machinery rentals and purchases by April 1, the company said in a press release.
When finished, Western States plans to have a 26,000-square-foot building and more than 30 employees. The facility will include drive-through bays, a parts warehouse.
Portables drive record year for video games
San Jose U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories hit a record $10.5 billion in 2005 as strong demand from portable gaming gadgets offset weakness in console players, the NPD Group research firm reported Friday.
The results surpassed the old record of $10.3 billion set in 2002 and were 6 percent higher than the $9.9 billion reported in 2004.
Software for portable players such as Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance and Sony’s PlayStation Portable jumped 42 percent to $1.4 billion in 2005 – the second straight year with sales above $1 billion. Game Boy Advance programs made up 52 percent of total sales.
“The real story for 2005 was the incredible expansion of portable gaming,” said Anita Frazier, an NPD analyst. “The GBA continued to realize stellar sales, and the introduction of the (Nintendo) DS and PSP to the market brought older gamers to the portable format.”
The console market faced software delays and hardware shortages. Consumers also held off purchases in anticipation of Microsoft Corp.’s new Xbox 360, which was in short supply after its Nov. 22 U.S. launch, as well as Sony’s and Nintendo’s upcoming consoles.
Microsoft to stop media software for Macs
Seattle Microsoft Corp. will stop developing a version of its Windows Media Player for Apple Computer Inc.’s Macs, and will instead offer free technology that lets people play Windows Media files using Apple’s own software.
The company decided to stop developing the Mac version so it could focus on efforts for Vista, the new version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system that is due out later this year, said Tim Harader, a senior business development manager with Microsoft’s Windows digital media division.
“We’ve been so focused on Vista and we’ve been so focused on creating an incredible media experience on the PC,” Harader said Friday. “We just did not have the resources to do a good job on (the Mac version).”
Apple computers represent about 4 percent of the U.S. market.